All these fucking gas stations have started advertising a “cash” rate and a “credit” rate, with usually a ten cent disparity, or one gas station advertises the “cash” rate as “ez pay,” etc shit like that

like hahah what the fuck is this shit, this rent seeking ass bullshit, just naked greed but I guess that’s the rest of American society, right?

and when I keep thinking about it, like, my fucking debit card isn’t “credit,” I’m getting charged the “credit” rate, like, what, if I fucking go inside and use the ATM and withdraw cash and pay these fuckers I get the cheaper option but if I stay outside like a person who doesn’t want to be fucked with any of that I have to pay more? jesus fucking christ fucking kill me, what else is fucking next? I honestly don’t even want to know

  • Carl [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    3 months ago

    It should be mentioned that gas stations are passing credit card processor rent seeking onto the customer. Same reason why a lot of places have a minimum purchase to pay with a card, those fees are total bullshit and they’re going up over time.

    and when I keep thinking about it, like, my fucking debit card isn’t “credit,” I’m getting charged the “credit” rate

    This is gas station dependent. I’ve seen places that consider my debit card cash, places that don’t, places that consider it cash when I prepay inside, and places that don’t.

    The REAL scam is when you use your debit card, get the lower rate, and then you have to pay a debit card fee

  • ඞmir@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    I’m a fan of this, because it reduces summed middleman fees as consumers gravitate towards the option with the least fees; e.g. cash.

    Middleman fees are inventions by capitalist scum. Rent-seeking on every single transaction is a capitalist’s dream.

    If merchants don’t do this, we end up in a situation where the fee is distributed across everyone, which is first of all unfair to those who don’t get the chargeback protection, and second of all still brings money to rent-seeking middlemen.

    Consumer protection should be nationalized by law, not handled by third-party capitalist companies.

    Fuck MasterCard and Visa.

  • it seems like merchant account “innovationists” have been increasingly fiddling with their service rates for different sectors or something, because i am definitely seeing more “discount” options for cash/check and occasionally debit instead of credit.

    2+ contractors and two auto mechanics near me offer cash/check discounts over credit, though some aren’t advertised. its gotten to the point where if i am dealing with a big purchase, ill just ask if i can get a discount for writing a check because 3% of $1000 is $30.

  • LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins [none/use name]@hexbear.netOP
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    3 months ago

    we have gas stations now advertising giant flashing numbers that when you go to the pump you find are 10 cents lower than what it is actually charging you and multiple people are here telling me this is good, actually

    the state of communists these days. Won’t anyone think of the processor’s fees??

  • krolden@lemmy.ml
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    3 months ago

    Been going on a while here. It’s so dumb and should be illegal somehow.